dxf import into PE problem (V5.2)

[Matt Snowball]

Hi , can anyone help with the following ?

I'm trying to import a dxf text outline into PE contour mode, so that i can then higlight individual letters and 'create part using closed contour'. I've done the procedure before with various dxf patterns.

The dxf text should read "Interior Alaska We are the land between the mountains (etc etc) " . It displays and reads fine in Autocad, but in the process of importing into PE most of the letters appear to go missing , and I'm left with mostly l's, w's, and i's . I have to get this job done soonish and I can't figure out what's going wrong .

I would attach the dxf, but this appears not to be allowed by the forum . I can mail it to anyone who thinks they can help .

Thanks in advance

Matt

[Rick Deskins]

http://www.thermwood.com/forums/viewtop ... alf#p49110

Read my post and the one by larry a few post down.

[Matt Snowball]

Hi Rick ,

I've read that post in the past but it does not seem to address the problem that I'm talking about here.

My problem is with the actual importation of the dxf pattern , not the machining or appearance of the parts.

The capital 'A' in my dxf , for example , imports correctly, but other simpler letters like the lower case 'r' are just missing.

[Ryan Callahan]

Matt,

Without the dxf, I am not sure I can help much. To post this file, you can either ZIP the file or change the extension to .TXT.

I look forward to helping figure out this issue.

[Matt Snowball]

OK here's the same problem again. I had to outsource the previous job as I could not get it to work.

The attached .dxf file is a reasonably simple outline, shaped like a tree branch . It displays fine in Autocad, but loses all of the curved sections on import into PE.

This shape also loads at approx location x= 15metres, y= 4metres . Why is this ?

Can someone tell me how to work around this ? Thanks for any help.

[David Egnoski]

Matt,

There are a couple of things going on here. As for why the part loads at 15 Meters by 4 Meters, Ecabinets loads the parts relative to 0,0 in the drawing. Your part is drawn about x=15, y=4. Move a corner of the part to or near to 0,0 in the dxf file and it will be in a better position in eCabinets.

You also need to explode the part into its line segments in your cad program. You will then see that some of the line segments are not connected. That's why eCabinets gives the error about not being a closed contour.

I think these changes will get you there.

[Matt Snowball]

Thanks for your reply Dave - I've forwarded it to the guy drawing the dxf's .

I'm familiar with the 'not a closed contour' message appearing when trying to use a contour to cut/pocket, but this is not the issue I was expecting here - this is more like ecabs not loading the entire shape in the first place - not 'seeing' the curved parts. Do you still think that this is the cause ?

Excuse my ignorance - I know very little about CAD programs and dxf's, although I am quite familiar with this part of ecabs.

many thanks
Matt

[Matt Snowball]

OK so this attached dxf has been exploded and moved nearer the origin.

I can't see it at all now in PE .

[David Egnoski]

Matt,

I can load it in part editor but still get the message about not being a closed contour.

[Matt Snowball]

Thanks Dave - I still cant load the second one at all. Are you running ecabs 5.2 as well ?

[David Egnoski]

No, I'm running 6.1 and 6.3.

When I zoom way in on the curving areas I see many short lines and many overlapping lines. The drawing really needs to be cleaned up. I'm sure this has something to do with your problems. I've been importing dxf files for quite some time without any problems. Ask your cad guy to take a closer look at the lines in the area of the curves.

[Rick Deskins]

First DXF will load, but way out in space. Moving in to 0,0 should help that. Second problem with the first dxf is that there are splines in the dxf. Ecabients will not import Splines. The DXF needs to be only lines and arcs. Secound dxf I could not load. When I debug through the code, it said the dxf had 10 layers, but no entities.


Rick